Amalgamator



; UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

HENRY COOK, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AMALGAMATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,580, dated October26, 1886.

Application filed January 12, 1886. Serial No. 188.307. (No model.) 7

tical section of an end portion of one of the cylinders, including thedust-chamber and ad- 1 jacent parts, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4repsaid receiver.

resents a sectional-view of a portion 'of they receiving-cylinder on anenlarged scale.

Similar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures. A

My invention consists of an apparatus adapted for separating gold fromauriferous earth, with or without the use of water, and taking gold,silver, and other amalgamating minerals from pulverized ores, as will behereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cylindrical or other shapedreceiver, which is mounted on a suitable frame or truck, B, so as to becapable of rotation, motion being'communicated to said receiver by meansof a toothed annulus, C, which is connected with the periphery of thereceiver and meshes with a pinion or gear wheel, D, to which power issuitably imparted.

Within the receiver A and fixed thereto is a copper cylinder or lining,E, to theiuterior of which is secured a spiral flange, F, formedofcopper and extending from end to end of While copper is preferred, anyother metal having an amalgamating surface may be substituted in lieuthereof without departing from my invention. A spiral, G, is connectedwith the end of the flange F and extends beyond the receiver and has itsouter end secured to a ring, H, whereby the same is supported, saidspiral being made of iron.

Supported on the frame or truck B is a mercury bath or vessel, J, thesame being lo cated at the bottom of the spiral G, so that the latterdips thereinto, and is provided with a spout, K, which extends from thebath into what is termed a waste-mercury saver, the

same consisting of a stationary copper cylinder or receiver, L, havingwithin it a beater, M, formed of paddles or vanes M, attached to arotary shaft, N, thelatter being mounted on the ends of said cylinder Land operated from the gearing by which the receiver Ais rotated. Thelower halfor lower portion of the cylinder L is slotted, as at P, andbelow the same is a trough, Q, which has a spout, It, leading to areceptacle, S.

At the end of the cylinder L opposite to the spout or trough K is acommunicating dust chamber and indicator, T, within which is a screen,U, which incloses a number of paddles or vanes of the beater M, the wallof said chamber'being formed of sections hinged together, 7

as at a. At the outer end of the chamberTis a discharge-spout, V, fortailings, and below the screen U is a spout,V.

The cylinder is supplied by an elevator,W, which is supported on theframe or truck B, and has its buckets operated from the gearing employedto rotate the cylinder or receiver A, an'endless chain passing around apulley ona sprocket-wheel, around which the bucket chain or belt passes.The elevator discharges into a chute, X, which has a screen, Y, thusdividing the chute in such manner that the fine particles of earth passthrough the screen into a spout/ Z, by which they are directed into thereceiver A, while the coarse matter rolls down the screen and reaches aplace of collection by 'means of a spout, Z.

Mcrcury is admitted into the receiver A, and the rotation of thelatter,with its inner spiral flange, causes the earth and mercury tomove toward the discharge end of said receiver and turn and overturn intheir passage the particles of minerals coming in contact with themercury-coated copper. Particles of gold that are too large to adhere tothe copper are carried through the receiver by the earth and directedinto the mercury bath J, where the dirt, &c., is carried through or overthe same. The bath acts as a nugget-saver in the treatment of auriferousearth and as a mercury-saver inthe treatment of pulverized ores. Theearth then enters the cylinder L of the waste-mercury saver, wherein themixed earth and waste mercury or overcharge from the receiverAare beatenby the vanes M, thus advancing the earth and dashing it against the sideof the cylinder. The mercury adheres to the copper of said cylinder, andescapes through the slots 1? into'the trough Q,whereby it is collectedin the receptacle S. As the slots are kept closed by the mercury, theother matters in the cylinder are prevented from escaping through thesame. The upper portion of the cylinder L may be removed when access isdesired to the interior of the same for cleansing and other purposes.The fine particles of dust pass through the screen U, and access to thechamber T serves to indicate any loss of mercury from the cylinder L.The dust e11- ters the spout V from chamber T, whereby it may becollected and afterward returned to the amalgamating cylinder orreceiver A, the mercury in said dust serving to recharge said receiver.The tailings leave the chamber T through the spout V, whereby they maybe collected.

For the treatment of pulverized ores I pass a pipe, A, through thereceiver A, and provide the same with a series of branches, A. (See Fig.3.) \Vater is admitted into said pipe and discharged into the receiverbehind the ores, so that the latter are washed down the spiral flange asthe receiver revolves. By these means the ores are always passed overaclean bright surface of charged copper, which greatly increases thefacility for catching the mineral. The overcharge of mercury iscollected in the bath or trough J, from whence it may be drawn offthrough the plug or cock J at the bottom thereof. An overcharge ofmercury loosens the amalgam adhering to the copper cylinder or lining F,and thus the amalgam is worked down by the sand and ore through thechannels formed by the spiral flange F. The inner end of the stationarymercury bath J meets the adjacent end of the rotating cylinder orreceiver A, whereby the amalgam from the cylinder A enters said bath andis removable by the plug or cock J, above referred to.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an amalgamator, the receiver A, in combination with the cylinderE, having continuous spiral flanges from one end of the same to theother end thereof, said cylinder and flanges being of copper, and anouter spiral of iron connected to said inner spirals, and a mercury bathlocated below said outer spiral and below the level of the cylinder E,all sub- I stantially as described. I

2. In an amalgamator, a receiver, in combination with a dust chamber orindicator, a rotary shaft journaled in both the receiver anddust-chamber and provided with vanes, a screen in said dust-chambersurrounding the vanes in the said chamber, and a spout leading from theportion of the chamber out side of the said screen, all substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

3. A mercury-saver consisting of a stationary cylinder or receiverhaving within it a rotary beater, the lower portion of said cylinderbeing slotted, substantially as described.

4. A cylinder, L, having a slotted portion, P, and a trough, Q, belowthe same, with a discharge-opening, substantially as described.

5. In an amalgamator, the receiver L and chamber T, in combination withthe shaft 'N, with vanes M, screen U, covering the vanes of the shaft insaid dust-chamber, and spout V, all substantially as described.

6. In an amalgamator, the dust-chamber U, formed of hinged sections andprovided with a beater 'inclosed in a screen, the portions of thechamber inside and outside of the screen having, respectively,outlet-spouts, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7 A rotary receiver with an interior spiral connected to an outerspiral, in combination with a mercury bath, into which said outer spiraldips, a slotted receiver in communication with said mercury bath, atrough located below said slotted receiver and provided with adust-chamber, a beater common to said slotted receiver and dust-chamber,a screen in said dust-chamber inclosing the portion of said beatertherein, and outlet-passages to said dust-chamber, all substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

HENRY COOK.

\Vitnesses:

J 0s. 0. FARR, GEo. H. TAYLOR.

